AI is quickly becoming core to business-critical ops. It’s making manufacturing safer and more efficient, optimizing retail inventory management, and improving healthcare patient outcomes. But there’s a big question for those operating AI infrastructure: How can you make sure your systems stay online even when things go wrong?

AI system reliability is critical because it’s not just about building or using AI – it’s about making sure it’s available through outages, cyberattacks, and any other disruptions. To achieve this, organizations need to support their AI systems with a robust underlying infrastructure that enables secure remote network management.

The High Cost of Unreliable AI

When AI systems go down, customers and business users immediately feel the impact. Whether it’s a failed inference service, a frozen GPU node, or a misconfigured update that crashes an edge device, downtime results in:

• Missed business opportunities
• Poor customer experiences
• Safety and compliance risks
• Unrecoverable data losses

So why can’t admins just remote-in to fix the problem? Because traditional network infrastructure setups use a shared management plane. This means that management access depends on the same network as production AI workloads. When your management tools rely on the production network, you lose access exactly when you need it most – during outages, misconfigurations, or cyber incidents. It’s like if you were free-falling and your reserve parachute relied on your main parachute.

Image: Traditional network infrastructures are built so that remote admin access depends at least partially on the production network. If a production device fails, admin access is cut off.

This is why hyperscalers developed a specific best practice that is now catching on with large enterprises, Fortune companies, and even government agencies. This best practice is called Isolated Management Infrastructure, or IMI.

Power Distribution Units (PDUs) are the unsung heroes of reliable IT operations. They provide the one thing that nobody pays attention to unless it’s gone: stable, uninterrupted power. Despite their essential role in hyperscale data centers, colocations, and remote edge sites, PDU management often remains one of the least optimized and most overlooked areas in IT operations. As organizations grow and expand their infrastructure footprints, the challenges associated with PDU management multiply to create inefficiencies, drive up costs, and expose critical systems to unnecessary downtime.

Why PDU Management is a Growing Concern

For enterprises that have adopted traditional Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) platforms or out-of-band (OOB) solutions, it might seem like power infrastructure is already covered. However, these tools fall short when it comes to giving teams granular control of PDUs. Many only support SNMP-based monitoring, which means teams can see status data but can’t push configurations, perform power cycling, or recover unresponsive devices. OOB solutions also rely on a single WAN link, which can fail and cut off admin access.

This lack of control results in IT teams still having to perform routine power management tasks on-site, even in supposedly modernized environments.

The Shift from Cloud to On-Premises

Cloud computing has been the go-to solution for businesses seeking scalability, flexibility, and cost savings. But according to a 2024 IDC survey, 80% of IT decision-makers expect to repatriate some workloads from the cloud within the next 12 months. As businesses mature in their digital journeys, they’re realizing that the cloud isn’t always the most effective – or economical – solution for every application.

This trend, known as cloud repatriation, is gaining momentum.

Key Takeaways From This Article:

• Cloud repatriation is a strategic move toward cost control, improved performance, and enhanced compliance.
• Performance-sensitive and highly regulated workloads benefit most from on-prem or edge deployments.
• Hybrid and multi-cloud strategies offer flexibility without sacrificing control.
• ZPE Systems enables enterprises to build and manage cloud-like infrastructure outside the public cloud.

What is Cloud Repatriation?

Cloud repatriation refers to the process of moving data, applications, or workloads from public cloud services back to on-premises infrastructure or private data centers. Whether driven by cost, performance, or compliance concerns, cloud repatriation helps organizations regain control over their IT environments.

The Growing Role of AI in Networking and Security

AI is transforming industries, and networking and security are no exceptions. Whether businesses consume AI tools as a service or integrate them directly into their infrastructure for cost savings and control, the impact of AI is undeniable. Organizations worldwide are rapidly adopting AI-powered solutions to optimize network operations, automate security responses, and improve overall efficiency.

But one glaring issue remains: After acquiring AI infrastructure, many organizations find themselves asking, “Now what?”

Despite the excitement around AI’s potential, there is a significant lack of clear, actionable guidance on how to deploy, recover, and secure AI-powered networks. This gap in best practices and implementation strategies leaves businesses vulnerable to operational inefficiencies, unforeseen challenges, and security risks.

So, how can organizations harness AI’s potential and ensure the resilience of their multi-million-dollar investment? Here are lessons learned from enterprises that have successfully implemented AI in their IT environments, along with a downloadable best practices guide for deploying, recovering, and securing AI data centers.

Understanding AI’s Role in Network Management

Like autonomous driving, AI adoption in network management operates at different levels:

1. No AI: Traditional, manual network operations.
2. AI consuming logs for alerts: Basic monitoring and reporting.
3. AI consuming logs with broader data access: Enhanced insights for more informed decision-making.
4. AI-driven network decision-making in specific areas: AI autonomously manages certain aspects of the network.
5. AI managing all IT infrastructure: A fully autonomous, AI-powered network.

As with autonomous vehicles, human oversight remains crucial. There must always be a way for administrators to take control in case AI makes an error. The key to ensuring uninterrupted access and oversight is by using an Isolated Management Infrastructure (IMI) — a separate, dedicated management layer designed for resilience and security.

In IT infrastructure management, two essential tools often come into play: KVM switches and serial consoles. While they may seem similar at first glance, understanding their distinct functionalities is crucial for system administrators. In this guide, we’ll break down their differences, use cases, and how they can work together for optimal infrastructure management.

What is a KVM Switch?

A KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switch is a hardware device that allows users to control multiple computers from a single keyboard, monitor, and mouse. This setup eliminates the need for multiple peripherals, streamlining IT operations.

Benefits of using a KVM switch:

• Centralized Management: Control multiple servers from one console.
• Space & Cost Efficiency: Reduces clutter and hardware costs in server rooms.
• Graphical Interface Access: Enables GUI-based management for various operating systems.
• Remote Management: Some KVM switches offer IP-based remote access for IT teams.

KVM switches are ideal for data centers, server management, and IT environments where GUI access is necessary.

What is a Serial Console?

A serial console, also called a console server, provides remote access to devices via serial ports. It is primarily used to manage network equipment such as routers, switches, and firewalls — especially when network access is unavailable.

Key advantages of serial consoles:

• Out-of-Band Management: Provides access even when the primary network is down.
• Command-Line Interface (CLI) Support: Essential for configuring network devices.
• Improved Security: Enables remote troubleshooting without exposing devices to the main network.
• Multi-Vendor Support: Works with various networking and industrial hardware.

Serial consoles are indispensable for network management, disaster recovery, and remote troubleshooting of mission-critical systems. They provide low-level access to equipment and serve as an administrative lifeline when the primary network is not working properly.

Network reliability and security are mission-critical for organizations. Yet, relying solely on in-band networks for monitoring and management creates a significant risk. When the primary network experiences an outage or breach, IT teams need to scramble to regain control. Out-of-band monitoring offers a dedicated pathway for monitoring and managing devices, so teams have reliable, always-available access to ensure resilience. But, how does out-of-band monitoring work? What can it monitor? Why is it essential to a network resilience strategy? Let’s find out.

What is Out-of-Band Monitoring and How Does it Work?

Out-of-band monitoring is a network management strategy that uses a dedicated management network, separate from the production network, to monitor and manage critical infrastructure. Whereas in-band monitoring relies on the same data network used by users and applications, out-of-band monitoring remains isolated and operational even if the main network is down.

How does out-of-band monitoring connect to devices?

• Console Access via Serial Ports: Out-of-band monitoring uses serial console ports on routers, switches, firewalls, and servers to provide direct access to the device’s command-line interface (CLI). This connection bypasses the primary network entirely.
• Dedicated Management Interfaces: Many modern devices come with a dedicated management Ethernet port (e.g., Cisco’s management interface or HP iLO for servers). These ports are linked to an out-of-band network, allowing secure remote access.
• Secure Remote Access Gateways: Centralized console servers or remote access gateways aggregate connections to multiple devices, making it easy to manage a large number of endpoints from a single interface.

Teams can gain remote access to out-of-band console servers via dedicated cellular, ISP, Starlink, or other connection that is separate from the main network.

Image: An out-of-band network provides dedicated connectivity that’s separate from the main network. NOC admins can gain access to out-of-band console servers via cellular, dial-up, ISP, or other connection, and manage all data center/branch devices connected to the console servers.

What can out-of-band monitor and manage?

• Network Device Status: Real-time monitoring of routers, switches, and firewalls for availability, performance, and errors.
• Power Systems: Monitoring and managing power distribution units (PDUs) to ensure stable power, perform remote power cycling, and maintain updated firmware.
• Server Health: Tracking CPU, memory, disk usage, and hardware diagnostics for servers through out-of-band management interfaces like IPMI, Dell iDRAC, or HP iLO.
• Environmental Conditions: Temperature, humidity, and physical security sensors can be monitored to detect and respond to environmental threats in data centers and remote sites.
• Network Connectivity: Ensures WAN links, including primary and backup connections (cellular or satellite), are functioning properly.

In a recent article, Y Combinator announced its search for startups aiming to eliminate human intervention in data center development and operation. While one half of this vision seems focused on automating the design and construction of data centers, the other half – focused on fully automating operations (a.k.a. “lights-out”) – is already a reality. ZPE Systems and Legrand are enabling enterprises to achieve this kind of operation by providing the best practices that are already in use in hyperscale data centers for lights-out management.

The Need for Lights-Out Data Centers

The growth of cloud computing, edge deployments, and AI-driven workloads means data centers need to be as efficient, scalable, and resilient as possible. The challenge is that because there is so much infrastructure to manage, the buildout and operation of these data centers becomes very costly and time consuming.

Diane Hu, a YC group partner who previously worked in augmented reality and data science, says, “Hyperscale data center projects take many years to complete. We need more data centers that are created faster and cheaper to build out the infrastructure needed for AI progress. Whether it be in power infrastructure, cooling, procurement of all materials, or project management.”

Dalton Caldwell, a YC managing director who also cofounded App.net, adds, “Software is going to handle all aspects of planning and building a new data center or warehouse. This can include site selection, construction, set up, and ongoing management. They’re going to be what’s called lights-out. There’s going to be robots, autonomously operating 24/7. We want to fund startups to help create this vision.”

In terms of ongoing management and operations, bringing this vision to life will require organizations to overcome several significant problems:

1. Rising Operational Costs: Staffing and maintaining on-site engineers 24/7 is costly. Labor expenses, training, and turnover increase operational overhead.
2. Human Error and Downtime: Human error is the leading cause of downtime, so having manual processes often leads to costly outages caused by typos, misconfigurations, and slow response times.
3. Security Threats: Physical access to data centers increases the risk of insider threats, breaches, and unauthorized interventions.
4. Remote Site Management: Managing geographically distributed data centers and edge locations requires staff to be on-site. What’s needed is a scalable and efficient solution that lets staff remotely perform every job, outside of physically installing equipment.
5. Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: On-site workers have specific heating/cooling needs that must be met in order to comfortably perform their jobs. Reducing human presence in data centers enables better energy management, which can lower carbon footprints and reduce cooling requirements.

Artificial intelligence is transforming every corner of industry. Machine learning algorithms are optimizing global logistics, while generative AI tools like ChatGPT are reshaping everyday work and communications. Organizations are rapidly adopting AI, with the global AI market expected to reach $826 billion by 2030, according to Statista. While this growth is reshaping operations and outcomes for organizations in every industry, it brings significant challenges for managing the infrastructure that supports AI workloads.

The Rapid Growth of AI Adoption

AI is no longer a technology that lives only in science fiction. It’s real, and it has quickly become crucial to business strategy and the overall direction of many industries. Gartner reports that 70% of enterprise executives are actively exploring generative AI for their organizations, and McKinsey highlights that 72% of companies have already adopted AI in at least one business function.

It’s easy to understand why organizations are rapidly adopting AI. Here are a few examples of how AI is transforming industries:

• Healthcare: AI-driven diagnostic tools have improved disease detection rates by up to 30x, while drug discovery timelines are being slashed from years to months.
• Retail: E-commerce platforms use AI to power personalized recommendations, leading to a revenue increase of 5-25%.
• Manufacturing: AI in predictive maintenance can help increase productivity by 25%, lower maintenance costs by 25%, and reduce machine downtime by 70%.

AI is a powerful tool that can bring profound outcomes wherever it’s used. But it requires a sophisticated infrastructure of power distribution, cooling systems, computing, GPUs, servers, and networking gear, and the challenge lies in managing this infrastructure.